Distance indicating device for golf holes

ABSTRACT

An assembly of distance indicating markers is provided for use on a standard gold course including a plurality of golf holes each having a green. The markers, in use, indicate two or more separate distances to the green for the golf holes for which the devices are used. The assembly includes a plurality of sets of two or more indicating markers of different colors. Each comprises a grass simulating mat adapted to be placed on the golf course in surrounding relation to a sprinkler head for a golf hole located at a specific distance from the green of the golf hole. The color of the marker is matched to the distance to the green so that the golfer can tell the distance to the green by the color. Like colors of each set of indicating devices indicate the same relative distance to the respective green.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to distance indicating devices used in the game of golf and, more particularly, to improved distance indicating devices or markers designed to provide a permanent indication of the distance from the device or marker to the golf green without creating an obstruction that could interfere with the trajectory of a golf ball.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] It is often critical to a golfer to know the distance to the green in order to make the proper club selection or to otherwise intelligently assess the proper golf shot to attempt. This is a particular problem on longer holes where distances can be difficult to judge particularly for the weekend golfer. Golf courses generally include distance indicating markers disposed flush to the ground which provide an indication of the distance to the green at spaced distances, e.g., in the form of yardage distances inscribed on sprinkler head covers or bands of distinctive different colors on the cart paths. However, these markers are generally not visible at a distance. Moreover, even when a marker with the yardage to the hole inscribed therein is close at hand to the player's ball (and thus can be viewed by walking over to it from the player's ball), the marker only gives an indication of the distance between it and the green and where the marker is a substantial distance from the hole, intervening distances must still be uncertainly estimated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In general, the present invention concerns an approach to indicating distances on a golf course, and, most preferably, distances to the green of a golf hole of a golf course, in a manner which is visible over substantial distances but which does not interfere in any way with normal play, e.g., provides a distance indication without interfering or obstructing the flight or roll of the golf ball. The invention is easily incorporated, in a permanent manner, into an existing golf course with an extremely minimal impact on the course. Further, the indications provided by the invention are easily read and understood by even the most inexperienced golfer.

[0006] In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a distance indicating device for a golf course for providing an indication of relative distances on the course, the device comprising: a mat of a distinctive color assigned to indicate the distance between an area on the golf course at which the mat is placed and a further area on the golf course, said mat including an opening therein for enabling the mat to be placed in at least partially surrounding relation to a sprinkler head located on the golf course at the indicated distance to the further area.

[0007] Preferably, the mat includes an upper grass simulating surface. Advantageously, the grass simulating surface includes artificial blades of grass. In a preferred implementation, the mat is of a circular shape and said opening is centrally located therein.

[0008] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an assembly of indicating devices for a golf course having a plurality of golf holes of different lengths, for providing an indication of different relative distances for at least the longer golf holes of the golf course, the assembly including at least three indicating devices for each of the longer golf holes, and each of the at least three devices being of a different color from the other of the at least three devices, the devices being adapted to be placed on the course in proximity to a sprinkler head on the golf course located at a specific distance to a predetermined area of the associated golf hole, and each of the devices comprising a substantially planar, grass-simulating member and the color of each device of the at least three devices being assigned to indicate a specific distance between the device and the predetermined area of the associated golf course.

[0009] Preferably, the member is of circular shape and includes a central opening therein which surrounds the sprinkler head.

[0010] In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided, for use on a golf course including a plurality of golf holes each having a green, an assembly of distance indicating devices for, in use, indicating at least two separate distances to the green for the golf holes for which the devices are used, the assembly including a plurality of sets of at least two indicating devices of different colors, each of the devices comprising a grass simulating mat adapted to be placed on the golf course in surrounding relation to a sprinkler head for a golf hole of the golf course located at a specific distance from the green of the associated golf hole so as to indicate by the color of the device the distance to the green, like colors of each set of indicating devices indicating the same relative distance to the respective green.

[0011] Preferably, as above, each mat is of a circular shape including a central opening therein adapted to fit around a sprinkler head.

[0012] Further features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in, or apparent from, the detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 is a schematic top plan view of a golf hole including distance indicating markers or devices in accordance with the invention;

[0014]FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of a golf course also showing the markers of FIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 3 is a schematic cross sectional view of one of the markers of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing the marker in place in the ground; and

[0016]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the marker of FIG. 3, showing only the marker.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, a typical golfing hole is shown which includes a teebox or teeoff area TB at one end of a fairway FW and a green G ,including a flagstick FS, at the other end. A series of sand traps ST are located along the fairway FW and around the green G and the teebox TB may include markers M indicating the teeoff areas for various skill levels. It will, of course, be understood that all of what has been described is completely conventional and is provided for illustrative purposes only, and that the invention is applicable to a golfing hole configuration of basically any configuration.

[0018] In accordance with the invention, a series of distance indicators, three, in this specific example, denoted 10, 12 and 14, are provided at predetermined locations along the fairway FW for indicating distances. This is also shown, in a schematic perspective view, in FIG. 2. Although the invention is not limited to such an application (and could be used for example to indicate distances from the teebox TB and, preferably, from a specific location or measurement point at the teebox TB), the invention is most preferably used to indicate the distance from the distance indicator or marker itself to the green G so as to be consistent with other distance markers conventionally found on golf courses. As set forth above, indicators 10, 12 and 14 are of different colors, e.g., red, white and blue, and indicate by the characteristic color the distance to the green G. For example, indicator 10 may be located at 150 yards, indicator 12 at 100 yards and indicator 14 at 50 yards, respectively. Preferably, markers 10, 12 and 14 are located at 200, 150 and 100 yards, respectively, so as to be consistent with the color bands provided on the cart paths at some golf courses. However, it will be understood that the colors of indicators 10, 12 and 14 can be chosen as desired, and that any color that can be readily seen from a distance can be used. For example, green would not normally be used because the indicator would not be clearly distinguishable from the grass of the fairway.

[0019] As is perhaps best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, for distant indicator or marker 10 (and it will be understood that the distant indicators 10, 12 and 14 are all similar in construction and, in one preferred embodiment, differ from each other only in color), the distance indicator 10 is formed by an annular or ring-shaped mat 16 made of artificial grass or turf which is adapted to be placed around on existing conventional pop-up sprinkler or sprayer head SH used in watering the golf course. Sprinkler head SH includes a head cover HC which includes inscribed thereon an indication YD of the exact yardage (e.g., 50 yards in the example given) from the sprinkler head SH to the green G marked thereon. Although shown on the side for purposes of illustration, the marking YD would normally be on the top of the cover HC.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, mat 16 has a central opening 16 a in which the sprinkler head SH is received (see FIG. 3) and is made of a grass-like or grass-simulating material such as a sturdy artificial turf with artificial grass blades 16 b. In a preferred implementation, the artificial turf is chosen to simulate the resistance and resilience of grass turf so as to reproduce the roll of the ball on the turf to be replaced, so that the mat 16 has as little effect on play as possible. It is important that the height of blades 16 b be less than that to which the surrounding grass SG (see FIG. 3) is normally cut, so that the mower will not cut artificial grass blades 16 b.

[0021] To install mat 16, a suitably sized and shaped hole H is cut out in the turf surrounding sprinkler head SH as indicated in FIG. 3 to a depth that ensures that, in a preferred embodiment, the height of the artificial grass blades 16 b is comparable to but less than that of the existing grass SG.

[0022] Although an annular shape is preferred, the distance indicator mat 16 can also be of other shapes. The size of the mat 16 should be such that the mat can be seen from the requisite distances and although for ease of manufacture, storage and handling, it is preferred that all of the mats 16 be of the same size, the mats designated to be placed close to the green G, and thus at longer distances from the golfer, can be made larger for better visibility if desired.

[0023] Although the invention has been described above in relation to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be effected in these preferred embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 

What is claimed:
 1. A distance indicating device for a golf course for providing an indication of relative distances on the course, the device comprising: a mat of a distinctive color assigned to indicate the distance between an area on the golf course at which the mat is placed and a further area on the golf course, said mat including an opening therein for enabling the mat to be placed in at least partially surrounding relation to a sprinkler head located on the golf course at the indicated distance to the further area.
 2. A distance indicating device according to claim 1 wherein said mat includes an upper grass simulating surface.
 3. A distance indicating device according to claim 2 wherein said grass simulating surface includes artificial blades of grass.
 4. A distance indicating device according to claim 2 wherein said mat is of a circular shape and said opening is centrally located therein.
 5. An assembly of indicating devices for a golf course having a plurality of golf holes of different lengths for providing an indication of different relative distances for at least the longer golf holes of the golf course, said assembly including at least three indicating devices for each said longer golf hole, each of said at least three devices being of a different color from the other of the at least three devices, said devices being adapted to be placed on the course in proximity to a sprinkler head on the golf course located at a specific distance to a predetermined area of the associated golf hole, each of said devices comprising a substantially planar, grass-simulating member and the color of each device of said at least three devices being assigned to indicate a specific distance between the device and the predetermined area of the associated golf course.
 6. An assembly according to claim 5 wherein said member is of circular shape and includes a central opening therein which, in use, surrounds the sprinkler head.
 7. For use on a golf course including a plurality of golf holes each having a green, an assembly of distance indicating devices for, in use, indicating at least two separate distances to the green for the golf holes for which the devices are used, said assembly including a plurality of sets of at least two indicating devices of different colors, each of said devices comprising a grass simulating mat adapted to be placed on the golf course in surrounding relation to a sprinkler head for a golf hole of the golf course located at a specific distance from the green of the associated golf hole so as to indicate by the color of the device the distance to the green, like colors of each set of indicating devices indicating the same relative distance to the respective green.
 8. An assembly according to claim 7 wherein each said mat is of a circular shape including a central opening therein adapted to fit around a sprinkler head. 